Cost
Estimating (CE-101)

You have to be
careful when comparing cost estimates for transportation systems.Published cost-estimates for high-speed transit
systems range from a relatively inexpensive $10 million per mile to systems costing $100
million per mile, or more.Why the wide range
in purported costs--sometimes even when the same technology is being utilized?

b, following are
examples of actual estimated costs for current high-speed projects:

Project

Total Cost

Length (Miles)

Cost/Mile

Source

Pittsburgh Civic
Arena

$147 Million

0.41

$b359 Million

Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette (7 MAR 99)

Pittsburgh
Oakland Extension

$550 Million

10

$55 Million

Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette (7 MAR 99)

Tokyo-Osaka

$20.8-$72
Billion

478

$43.5-$150
Million

Charles Arthur
Independent (1 JUN 98)

Hamburg-Berlin

$5.9 Billion

181

$33 Million

Scientific
American Issue 1097/Time Magazine (9 NOV 98)

Cost Factors (Leveling the Playing Field)

There is no simple way to estimate the costs of a high-speed transit
project. In order to accurately compare two cost estimates, one must be familiar with all
of the cost categories included or omitted in any given project profile so as to build a
proper cost estimate on either a cost per mile or total system cost basis.

The cost of a system in one corridor may also be very different to
the cost of the same system in another corridor.Local
conditions can have a major impact on total system cost. For example, comparing a Rocky
Mountain corridor project to one in the Midwest is misleading as the Rocky Mountain
project may include boring miles of tunnels and traversing rough terrain with steep
grades, while the Midwest project may run straight over relatively flat land.Comparing a system within a major city with one
built across open countryside is misleading.The
city project may include expensive land acquisition, rebuilding special structures such as
bridges, and relocating utilities, while the open country system may include none of these
(but may include for example expensive environmental mitigation).

The Local Economy

A system can be constructed in some countries inexpensively while the
same system in another country might be quite expensive.Since 60% of the cost of the system may be the cost of manufacturing the guideway,
stations, and supporting structures (control centers and maintenance yards), the most
critical component may be the cost of locally manufactured pre-cast concrete components.If the system is to be located in a country with
large supplies of sand and gravel, numerous pre-cast plants, and cheap labor, then the
system will cost much less than one in an area which does not have these resources.

Different Technologies

The MagliftTM monorail system will
usually be the least expensive alternative with return the greatest increase in capacity.This system is lighter weight than competing
systems, has greater construction and operating tolerancesthan competing systems, has lower total system costs than competing systems, is
more environmentally compatible than competing systems, all with equal or greater
ridership capacity.

Highway Expansion

A two-way monorail system can provide the capacity equivalent of
eight highway lanes, four running in each direction.Adding eight lanes to a highway will usually cost much more because where there is
such a need for additional capacity, the surrounding land is built-up and the cost of
acquiring land, relocating utilities, disrupting traffic during construction, etc. is
prohibitive.

Conventional Rail

A conventional rail system will typically cost more than the monorail
system because it needs a dedicated right-of-way, expensive (and often dangerous) grade
crossings, and significant earth works (even tunnels) to provide a gentle grade (2% or so)
along the route.

Maglev Systems

Maglev systems are expensive, so much so, they are not economic. The
rationale for maglev is that it overcomes rolling friction and the vehicles float
friction-free down a guideway. At high speeds (for which maglev is intended), the rolling
friction accounts for only 20% of the total drag (aerodynamic drag dominates) - rolling
drag it a small factor. Unfortunately, maglev introduces magnetic drag which is nearly as
great as the rolling drag which it eliminated. Thus the overall reduction that can be
attributed to magnetic levitation is just 5%. And for this minor gain, there is a
tremendous increase in complexity, cost and technical risk. Maglev technology is a
complex, expensive, and an inefficient solution to a small problem.

TransPort Ventures
LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiaryof Meneren Corporation was competitively selected
by the State of Colorado to design, construct, and
operate a 170 mile high-speed monorail system that will
connect DIA (Denver International Airport), stop in the
center of the City of Denver, and proceed up the Rocky
Mountain corridor to the ski areas (including Vail), and
on to the Eagle County Airport.

MagLift Technology has been designated a
"Maglev" technology by the US Department of
Transportation. However, unlike fully levitating
Maglev systems, MagLift is substantially lighter, lower
cost, and can stay within highway right-of-ways.